This invention relates to a self-braking safety apparatus adapted to permit the rapid descent of persons on the outside of buildings or the like in cases of emergency, and more particularly a descent of the "double rope" type in mountaineering.
It is known that unfortunately it is often necessary to evacuate rooms in high buildings on fire where any way of exit from the flames or smoke, which makes the air irrespirable, is impossible.
Other cases in which it is necessary to evacuate persons by extraordinary means, i.e. from windows or balconies, occur in cases of earthquakes or other seizmic calamities.
It is evident that in the following specification, unless otherwise specified, an "extraordinary descent" is intended to mean a descent by other than the normal ways of access and/or exit, i.e. a descent on the outside of the building.
Still other cases in which an extraordinary descent may become necessary are:
The descent from inaccessible places such as ravines, crevasses, wells, bridges;
The evacuation from sinking ships;
The simultaneous descent of several persons from helicopters.
Various devices are known for the rapid evacuation of persons from buildings in cases of emergency: in general, they are emergency winches or capstans, generally devised for this purpose, but just because they are extraordinary and little used, or at least intended to be little used, they are of rather a rudimental nature.
On the other hand, it is an object of the present invention to provide an "ad hoc" apparatus designed and constructed for the precise purpose of permitting a rapid evacuation of the persons from the dangerous place in which they are, whereby said rapid evacuation or descent of the "double rope" type commonly used in mountaineering is made necessary.
It is to be noted that the present apparatus is completely mechanical, does not require any maintenance, can be easily used by any person and is of very light weight.
It is evident that the present apparatus for its use be suspended from a hook or some support fixed to the window, balcony or place from wich one has to descend.